While thus, she was engaged in spiritual contemplation with an illuminated mind, free from all the pains of love and hatred and slighting this universe, the all-full Jnana dawned in her mind and therefore Brahma came voluntarily to her and imparted to her the following truths : (< Thou hast attained the Jivanmukti state. Thy mind has been quite illumined ; yet thou shalt be in thy old form of a Rakshasa lady and sup port thyself on earth in the bodies of persons without Jnana as well as the cruel and the base. Happiness thou shalt en joy thus.” With these blessings, Brahma disappeared.
Contemplating upon Brahman alone as the non-dual one and as the All, she rested in the actionless seat of occult;( That. “ After remaining thus in Nirvikalpa Samadhi for a very long time, she returned to the normal state and with infinite bliss, commingled herself with her mind. Instantaneously the thoughts of her old hunger revived. And as the conception of “ I” is incidental to this body so long as it exists in the universe, she resolved upon tasting flesh, the food peculiar to Rakshasas.
Then exulting as nectar in the consumption of the body of the ignorant as directed by Brahma, she retired to the slopes of the Himalayas and reached the country of the hunters. While she was dwelling in the forest there, a king chanced to go to it along with his just minister. Then the night was enveloped with such an intense gloom as not to be dissipated by the light of even sun, moon and Agni (fire combined together. Fearlessly did they perambulate together on such a night, scaring away Pisachas and other mischievous imps.
So soon as Karkati saw these two passing in the forest, she reckoned upon a good repast in them. At first, she thought that they were ignorant persons without true JnAna and as such were productive of pains both in this and the higher worlds as also everywhere. On further reflection, she soliloquised to herself thus “ According to the direction of Brahma, those who are not content with any things that come in their way are of weak minds only. On the other hand, will any one be so foolish as to injure those who are of illuminated mind and good qualities? Besides, will such virtuous persons suffer thereby? Such Illuminatii will be of undying fame, long life, and impartial bliss, worthy of being venerated by all. As they are more endearing to one another in their ranks than even their own lives, they will, even at their own risk, protect another amongst themselves.
They have even the power to make their devotees get into the good graces of Yama and thus overcome him. While even a Rakshasa lady like myself goes the length of worshipping the wise, who else will not do the same, like a fond dog ? Like the full moon which protects this earth (and makes it appear gay), the wise will gladden the hearts of those visiting them. Persons not associating with such wise men will de base themselves and be but as men dead ; otherwise they will attain the good effects of Moksha and others.” Thus therefore she came to the conclusion of testing them as to whether they were Jnanis or not.
With this purpose, she roared aloud (unperceived) in the Akasa outvieing the thunder-clap with the following words “ Oh ye who resemble the sun and the moon in the ineffable forest of Akasa, showering rain like clouds, Oh ye who are like the countless hosts of vermin writhing and perishing underneath the dark and terrible stone of Maya, have ye come here simply for the purpose of falling a prey to me this very instant ? Ye seem to me to be the wise ones, and yet it strikes me ye belong to the other class also. To which class then do ye belong?
At which the king thus addressed her “ Oh Rakshasa lady, ever prone to injure all creatures, hear me. But where are you now? We listened to all the sounds you uttered like the buzzing of a young bee.” Thereupon the lady exclaimed “ well done” and laughed aloud, standing before them. The king, observing her large form through the intense lustre of her large teeth, was not in the least appalled at the sight and said to her thus “ Do not open wide agape your capacious mouth like the Minaka (mountain) and afflict yourself thereby.
Whatever may be said by persons, who do not long after the fruits of actions, that such fruits are baneful and do not really exist, the light-minded are ever engaged in such light ones only ; but the wise of great quiescence are” bent upon the transcendant spiritual actions through their subtle intelli gence. Our valor is such as to blow away, like musquitoes, persons of vicious proclivities like yourself. Therefore abandon all your impetuous foolhardiness. Please apprise us of your real intentions. We are able to confer, even in dream, any objects begged of us through intense desire by any person approaching us then.”
At these words of the king, the lady came to understand that they were persons of unlimited Jnana, knowledge, power and quiescence of mind. Then in extreme marvel at their noble words and stainless truth, she muttered to herself thus “ A stainless mind can be judged through speech, face and eyes. Through those expressions, can their opinion also be well gauged. Those whose doubts (about the higher spiritual path) have not been cleared along with the love of wealth, should be classed under the inferior class of the ignorant.” Then addressing these two grandees, she queried them as to who they were.
The minister replied thus to the questions put by Karkati “(Pointing to the personage near him), he is the King of hunters and I am his Minister. Nightly do we patrol every where to punish the vicious and protect the virtuous. On that mission it is, we have wended our way thither.”
Whereupon Karkati said thus “ With the counsels of a wicked minister, a good king too is turned into bad ways ; even a bad king becomes virtuous, if counselled by an honest and virtuous statesman. Conversely, a wise King generates a good minister. Therefore when a king is counselled by a statesman of great discrimination, what blessings will he not achieve ?
As is the king, so will be his subjects. Those only are qualified to be kings or ministers who have deve loped nobleness of disposition, equal vision over all and a profound study of Jnana works. Otherwise they are not worthy of discharging such duties. Therefore, if you are not well versed in these Jnana books, you will have to reple- nish my stomach and thus forfeit all chances of enjoying your youth. I will now enmesh you both, who are like two lions, in the cage of my questions. Now try to unlock their portals with the keys of your discrimination. Else, you will not be able to outlive that period.” On the King asking her to state the questions, the lady rained her queries on them both like ambrosia. Muni Vasishta continued Oh Rama, listen attentively to the questions proposed by the Rakshasa lady. They are the following :
(1) What is that atom which is the cause of the origin, preservation and destruction of the myriads of heterogeneous universes springing up like so many bubbles on the surface of the ocean?
(2) What is that which is Akasa and yet is not?
(3) What is that which, though it is unlimited, has yet a limit?
(4) What is that which though moving, yet moves not?
(5) What is that which, though it is, yet is not?
(6) What is that, which manifests to itself as Chit (con sciousness) and is yet a stone (or inert)?
(7) What is that which pourtrays pictures in the Akasa?
(8) What is that atom in which are latent all the micro cosms, like a tree in a seed?
(9) Whence do all things originate, like volatility in water, being non-different from that cause like the tidal foams in the ocean?
(10) And in what will these two (volatility and water) become merged as one?
